Conventional data processing systems may provide capabilities for navigating between multiple windows displayed by a multitasking windowing environment. The window currently selected by a user for display in the foreground and for active input is known as the window with focus. The user may change the focus by use of either an implicit focus model or an explicit focus model.
Where applicable, the term "window" is used throughout this specification in its broadest aspect. This includes a full screen session window or a dimensioned panel window.
In an implicit focus model, such as that provided by the Open Software Foundation, Inc.'s OSF/Motif.TM. Windowing Environment, the focus is automatically changed to that window upon which the mouse controlled cursor or pointer resides. When the user moves the cursor onto a portion of a window which is partially hidden, the window automatically pops into focus so that the entire window is then visible.
In an explicit focus model, such as that provided by the International Business Machines Corp.'s OS/2.TM. Presentation Manager windowing environment, the focus is only changed by the user upon an explicit command from the user. If the user wishes to change the focus, then the user moves the pointer onto a portion of a window which is partially hidden, and then the user clicks the mouse to pop the window into focus so that the entire window is then visible. Alternatively, under some explicit focus models, the user may be able to issue explicit commands from a keyboard such as a NEXT WINDOW command or a PREVIOUS WINDOW command. A NEXT WINDOW command changes the focus to a window which first gained focus after the currently displayed window. A PREVIOUS WINDOW command changes the focus to a window which had focus just prior to the currently displayed window. These commands allow the user to navigate through a window queue which is sorted in an order in which the various windows first gained focus.
Note that under both of these focus models, the user may only change the focus based on either the location of a pointer on the display or the location of a window in a window queue (the window queue is often referred to as a system active object table). However, if a user desires to change the focus based on the content of a window, no capability is provided by conventional systems. If the user desires to change the focus to a window containing specific information, then conventional systems fail to change the focus to the desired window. The user must manually change the focus to other windows and visually search these windows to find the window containing the specific information.
Application Ser. No. 07/919,436 filed Jul. 27, 1992 by G. Fitzpatrick et al. entitled "Method of and Apparatus for Providing Contextual Navigation" disclosed a method for providing automatic navigation in a multitasking windowing environment to a window containing a user specified search criteria. A user could specify a search criteria and a window containing the criteria at the time of the search would automatically be focused.
If a user desires to change the focus to a window which contained specific information at some time in history, then conventional systems fail to change the focus to the desired window. The user must manually change the focus to other windows and must use human memory to remember which window had contained a sought criteria which is no longer present on the window at the time of the search.
Thus, the prior art provides no method of, or apparatus for, providing automatic navigation in a multitasking windowing environment to a window, which contained a user specified search criteria at some time in history. It is desirable to automatically navigate to a window which contained a search criteria that is no longer present on the window at the time of the search. As such, there is a need for a method of, and apparatus for, providing automatic navigation in a multitasking windowing environment to a window, which contained a user specified search criteria at some time in history.